Smoke-Free or Smoke Freely: It's Still Your Choice in Cleveland
Neither Cleveland nor any of the suburbs in Cuyahoga County has banned smoking in bars and restaurants yet, but that hasn't stopped several establishments from going smoke-free. Last month, George Nemeth of Brewed Fresh Daily reported that Cleveland's prestigious Velvet Tango Room is now smoke-free (even though its website still features a picture of a cigar in an ashtray). At around the same time, the Steak-n-Shake in West Park announced that it would no longer allow smoking. These are just two more examples to show that, if given a chance, the free market will provide both smokers and non-smokers with drinking and dining options that suit their preferences.
The free market might not get that chance, though. A gang of busybodies calling themselves "Smoke Free Ohio" recently submitted petitions to put the issue of a smoking ban before the Ohio General Assembly. In a rare moment of sanity, the General Assembly appears unlikely to enact Smoke Free Ohio's proposal, the Ohio University Post Online reports, so the issue probably will go to the voters in November.
Meanwhile, the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association is gathering signatures for a saner smoking ban proposal, which, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, would:
...require lawmakers to ban smoking in public places but exempt certain establishments such as bars, bingo halls, racetracks, bowling alleys and closed-off smoking areas in restaurants, hotels and nursing homes. If the language is certified, the group must collect nearly 323,000 signatures to get it on the ballot.
Ideally, the State of Ohio would not concern itself at all with smoking in privately owned buildings, but the OLBA's proposal looks to be the best way to stop the total ban that Smoke Free Ohio is pushing.
posted by Jason Sonenshein @ 11:35 AM
5 Comments:
delaware county in indiana passed their smoking ban and it will take affect in july.
we're talking hard core, here, too. the only places you are still able to smoke at will be bars and restaurants that have a wall dividing the smoking and non smoking areas.
bowling alleys, bingo halls, truck stops, hotels, etc... will all be non-smoking.
Wow, you can't even get a smoking hotel room there?
I wish adults would grow up. Smoking is not a God Given Right. It is a killer. I do not want to smell your stink. Smoke where you want but not in any public place.
If you think it is so great blow smoke in your kids faces.Quit throwing your butts out the car window and on the ground out side doorways.
You the smokers pollute in and outside.
There are rumours that bingo is being banned in the US, is that true?
In the UK, bingo has suffered in recent months due to the ban on smoking in public places, causing smoking customers to either go outside for a cig and face the harsh cold (not a good move for the aged) or stay at home and not play, thus starving people like me wanting to Play Bingo UK Halls constantly. But banning bingo completely is ridiculous! It is a very mild form of gambling at the most! If you’re going to ban bingo then the lottery has to go too surely? Isn’t that gambling?
Bingo is a number game, based on pure luck, so really it’s not even similar to other gambling games such as poker and sports betting. It’s just like buying a lottery ticket just you have to get more numbers! So then why is it such a problem? Its just takes away the older generations entertainment while the younger generations indulge in perfectly “legal” things like DRUGS! Can they not see which the bigger problem is?
I think the ban has turned out to be a good idea. Its nice to go out to my favourite bingo hall and come home not smelling of smoke.
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